Subsidized permanent custody (SPC) is federally recognized as the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP). This is a formula grant that helps states who opt to provide guardianship assistance payments for the care of children by relatives/fictive kin who have assumed permanent custody of eligible children for whom they previously cared for as foster parents.
Beneficiaries are children who receive foster care maintainence payments for at least six (6) months, while living in the home of a prospective caregiver who is certified or approved as meeting the certification requirements as a foster family.
The agency must determine the following:
- A return home or adoption is not an appropriate permanency options for the child;
- The child demonstrates a strong attachment to the prospective caregiver;
- The caregiver has a strong commitment to caring permanently for the child; and
- For children who have attained the age of fourteen (14), the child has been consulted regarding the permanency plan.